Photos: Enticing holiday shoppers to malls

Oscar Estrada, right, holds his 2-month-old daughter, Aedalyn Estrada, while visiting the Glendale Galleria’s interactive Santa house with his son Bryan Morales, left, 13, and Alex Estrada, 1, center.  (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

Customers design their own sleigh on iPads at the “top secret” design lab before settling in to ride red velvet seats on a virtual trip to Santa’s lair at the Glendale Galleria. Above, Natalia Gutierrez, 6, center, plays with one of the iPads.  (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

The Santa house at the Glendale Galleria includes interactive video screens featuring characters from the “Shrek” movies.  (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

Inside the Santa house at the Glendale Galleria, perky guides in plaid lead groups through a journey to Saint Nick.   (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

During a virtual trip to Santa’s lair at the Glendale Galleria, the seats shake on takeoff and later as fireworks burst in the sky. Shrek and his pal Donkey make appearances on the huge screen before the sleigh lands at the North Pole.   (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)